Name
|
Tenure
|
Appointed by
|
Notes
|
Refs
|
Galenos
|
9th century
|
Unknown
|
Known only through his seal, which mentions his titles as "imperial
primik?rios
,
pr?tovestiarios
and
megas domestikos
"
|
[12]
|
John Komnenos
|
1057?1059
|
Isaac I Komnenos
|
Younger brother of Isaac I, he was raised to
kouropalat?s
and "Grand Domestic" by his brother. The usage of "Grand Domestic" is apparently an anachronistic usage by later sources, and his real title was probably Domestic of Schools of the West. However, a seal of a "John,
n?belissimos
,
pr?tovestiarios
and Grand Domestic of the Schools of the East" might be attributable to him.
|
[13]
[14]
|
Andronikos Doukas
|
c.
1072
|
Michael VII Doukas
|
Son of the
Caesar
John Doukas
and cousin of Michael VII, he was appointed Domestic of the Schools ("Grand Domestic" in a document of 1073) to confront the attempt by
Romanos IV Diogenes
to reclaim his throne.
|
[15]
[16]
|
Alexios Komnenos
|
1078?1081
|
Nikephoros III Botaneiates
|
Nephew of Isaac I, he was appointed to the Domesticate of the West to combat the revolts of
Nikephoros Bryennios
and
Nikephoros Basilakes
. In 1081, he deposed Nikephoros III and became emperor, ruling until his death in 1118.
|
[17]
[16]
|
Gregory Pakourianos
|
1081?1086
|
Alexios I Komnenos
|
Was named "Grand Domestic of the West" after Alexios Komnenos ascended the throne, and was killed in battle in 1086. R. Guilland qualifies him as the first person to be officially named "Grand Domestic" as a distinct title.
|
[18]
[16]
|
Adrianos Komnenos
|
1086 ? after 1095
|
Alexios I Komnenos
|
A younger brother of Alexios I, he succeeded Pakourianos as "Grand Domestic of the West" in 1086.
|
[18]
|
John Axouch
|
1118?1050/1
|
John II Komnenos
|
A Turk taken captive as a boy in the
Siege of Nicaea
and given as a childhood companion to John II. A loyal friend and a capable soldier and administrator, he became Grand Domestic on John II's accession and held the post into the reign of
Manuel I Komnenos
, until his death.
|
[19]
|
John Komnenos Vatatzes
|
1177/80 ? 1183
|
Manuel I Komnenos
|
A nephew of Manuel I, he served against the
Seljuk Turks
and under
Alexios II Komnenos
was governor of the
Thracesian Theme
. He tried to oppose the accession of
Andronikos I Komnenos
to the throne, and rebelled against him, but fell ill and died.
|
[20]
|
Basil Vatatzes
|
c.
1189
? 1193
|
Isaac II Angelos
|
Married to a niece of Isaac II, he served as Domestic of the East and later as "Grand" Domestic of the West. According to R. Guilland, he was probably not a Grand Domestic in the strict sense of the title.
|
[20]
|
Alexios Gidos
|
c.
1185
? 1194
|
Isaac II Angelos
|
He served as "Grand" Domestic of the East and later as Domestic of the West alongside Basil Vatatzes. The ambiguity about his title and whether he was a true "Grand Domestic" is the same as with Vatatzes.
|
[21]
|
Andronikos Palaiologos
|
by 1228 ? 1248/52
|
Theodore I Laskaris
or
John III Doukas Vatatzes
|
He was named Grand Domestic of the
Empire of Nicaea
either by Theodore I or by his successor, John III. Replaced as actual commander-in-chief, but not as Grand Domestic, by
Theodore Philes
, he served as governor of
Thessalonica
from its conquest in 1246 until his death sometime between 1248 and 1252. He was the father of the emperor
Michael VIII Palaiologos
.
|
[22]
|
Nikephoros Tarchaneiotes
|
by 1252 ? 1254
|
John III Doukas Vatatzes
|
Son-in-law of Andronikos Palaiologos, at the death of the latter he was
epi tes trapezes
and was soon promoted to Grand Domestic to succeed him. He died in 1254.
|
[22]
|
George Mouzalon
|
1254?1256
|
Theodore II Laskaris
|
Theodore II's closest friend and protege, he was named Grand Domestic in 1254. However, it was the emperor himself who led the army on campaign, Mouzalon remaining behind as regent. He was further promoted to
protosebastos
,
protovestiarios
and
megas stratopedarches
in 1256.
|
[25]
|
Andronikos Mouzalon
|
1256?1258
|
Theodore II Laskaris
|
Brother of George Mouzalon, he succeeded him when he was promoted further up the hierarchy in 1256. He was killed along with his other brothers in the nobles coup in 1258, after the death of Theodore II.
|
[27]
|
John Palaiologos
|
1258?1259
|
John IV Laskaris
(nominal)
|
Brother of Michael VIII, he was raised to the Grand Domesticate when the latter became regent of the under-age
John IV Laskaris
, but was rapidly promoted further to
sebastokrator
and later
Despot
. He continued to be active as a general almost to the end of his life, and scored several victories for his brother.
|
[27]
|
Alexios Strategopoulos
|
1259
|
Michael VIII Palaiologos
|
An old general, he was disgraced after a defeat in 1255 and punished by the emperor. He became a partisan of Michael Palaiologos, who named him Grand Domestic shortly before he was crowned emperor in 1259. For his successes against the
Despotate of Epirus
, he was named
Caesar
shortly after. His career was chequered by failures and periods of imprisonment, but on 25 July 1261 he led the recapture of
Constantinople
from the Latin Empire and the restoration of the Byzantine Empire under the Palaiologoi.
|
[31]
|
Alexios Philes
|
1259?1263/4
|
Michael VIII Palaiologos
|
Philes had married a niece of Michael VIII. He was sent in the
Peloponnese
but was
defeated and captured
by the
Principality of Achaea
, dying in captivity.
|
[34]
|
William II of Villehardouin
|
1262
|
Michael VIII Palaiologos
|
William was the
Prince of Achaea
in the Peloponnese, and had been taken captive in the 1259
Battle of Pelagonia
. In 1262, he was released after he handed over some fortresses to the Empire, and received the title (possibly honorific) of Grand Domestic. Upon his return to the Peloponnese, however, he repudiated his oath and war began with Byzantium.
|
[34]
|
Michael Tarchaneiotes
|
1272?1284
|
Michael VIII Palaiologos
|
A son of Michael VIII's eldest sister, Martha-Maria. He campaigned against the Turks in Asia Minor in 1278, and scored a major victory against the
Angevins
at the
Siege of Berat
in 1281. He was killed at the siege of Demetrias in 1284.
|
[34]
|
Theodore Komnenos Angelos
|
c.
1286
|
Andronikos II Palaiologos
|
A
gambros
(related by marriage to the imperial family) of Andronikos II, he is mentioned in a document of the Theotokos of the Lembos monastery in 1286.
|
[39]
|
Syrgiannes
|
before 1290
|
Andronikos II Palaiologos
|
A
Cuman
, he had entered Byzantine service under John III Vatatzes and had become baptized, marrying a niece of Michael VIII. He was the father of
Syrgiannes Palaiologos
.
|
[39]
|
John Angelos Sennachereim
|
c.
1296
|
Andronikos II Palaiologos
|
Mentioned in the context of preparations for repelling a Venetian attack in July 1296.
|
[39]
|
Alexios Raoul
|
unknown ? 1303
|
Andronikos II Palaiologos
|
Active as a fleet commander against
Demetrias
in 1284, he rose to Grand Domestic by 1303, when he was sent to negotiate with the mutinous
Alan
mercenaries, but was killed by them.
|
[39]
|
John Kantakouzenos
|
c.
1325
? 1341/47
|
Andronikos III Palaiologos
|
The closest friend and collaborator of Andronikos III, he was probably raised to the position during the
civil war
against Andronikos II. To show his special favour to his friend, Andronikos III raised the Grand Domestic to an even higher position among the court dignities, immediately after the
Caesar
. Kantakouzenos remained Grand Domestic until 1341, when he was proclaimed Emperor, although technically he held the post until he was crowned in 1347, following his victory in the
civil war
against the regents of the under-age
John V Palaiologos
.
|
[39]
|
Stephen Chreles
|
1341?1342
|
John VI Kantakouzenos
|
A
Serbian
magnate and military leader, he entertained close relations with Byzantium and supported John Kantakouzenos in the first years of the civil war, receiving the titles of Grand Domestic and later
Caesar
.
|
[45]
|
Tarchaneiotes
|
unknown ? 1354 or 1355
|
John VI Kantakouzenos
|
Otherwise unknown, he was murdered on 2 November 1355 (or 1354) n Constantinople.
|
|
Alexios Metochites
|
c.
1355?1369
|
John VI Kantakouzenos
and
John V Palaiologos
|
He was probably the son of the
megas logothetes
Theodore Metochites
. He is mentioned as Grand Domestic in 1356 and again in the 1360s, seemingly holding the title along several other people during this period, which has led to suggestions that his office was honorary, like William of Villehardouin's, or that the division between Domestics of the East and the West was revived for a time.
|
[48]
|
Alexios Atouemes
|
c.
1357
|
John V Palaiologos
|
An uncle of the Emperor, he is attested as a witness in the renewal of the peace treaty with
Venice
.
|
[45]
|
Demetrios Palaiologos
|
c.
1357?1375
|
John V Palaiologos
|
A relative of the Emperor John V, his exact position within the Palaiologos family is uncertain. He is attested as a witness in the renewal of the peace treaty with
Venice
, and continues to be attested as a Grand Domestic in acts as late as 1375.
|
[51]
|
Andronikos Palaiologos Kantakouzenos
|
c.
1437
?1453
|
John VIII Palaiologos
Constantine XI Palaiologos
|
First mentioned on being sent on a diplomatic mission to Serbia in 1437, Andronikos Palaiologos Kantakouzenos was the brother of the Despotess of Serbia,
Irene Kantakouzene
, and held the post until the
Fall of Constantinople
in 1453. He survived the sack of the city, but was executed by the Ottoman Sultan
Mehmed II
a few days later along with
Loukas Notaras
and other notables.
|
[6]
|